0856832707

Providing a firsthand account of the land enclosure movement of the 19th century from a major English poet, this extensively researched study gives modern readers an appreciation of the divisive effects of such policies. Structured chronologically, this exploration of John Clare’s life highlights the socioeconomic and environmental aspects of his observations and includes his reports on an insidious revolution taking place in England, where a Parliament dominated by landowners authorized the enclosure of large tracts of land by private acts.